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| Courtyard & Wihan |
Wat
Suthat (its shorter name) may not have the touristic attraction of
other temples. And yet it remains an important and interesting site
in Rattanakosin
area.
In
Thailand, there are 23 royal temples of the first grade and 10 in
Bangkok alone. Wat Suthat is one of those. King Rama I (1737-1809),
Bangkok's founder, started its construction in 1807, on the 27th
anniversary of the new capital. But it took many years to have it
fully completed till Rama III (1787-1851) in 1847. There are several
aspects, which make this temple rather different besides being one of
the oldest and largest:
it
has a large courtyard with many Chinese sculptures,
the
courtyard is surrounded by cloisters housing gilded Buddha images,
the
main hall (wihan)
has three particularities: its unusual height, its imposing Buddha
image and its remarkable murals.
It
is located next to
the Giant Swing
[ref.
My
other article on this monument].
 |
| Gallery of Buddhas |
As
it is often the case, the whole complex has a worship area and
monastic quarters. It covers 10 acres in a rectangular plan
surrounded by a 949-meter long wall.
The
inner courtyard
gives an idea of the dimensions of the Wat.
It
holds a few Chinese pagodas, stone statues of Chinese soldiers and
also a few nice bronze horses. It is said they were all shipped from
China as ballast in rice boats at the end of the 18th
century.
The
exceptionally large courtyard is surrounded by a monastery-like
gallery
containing 150 statues of Buddha.
The
Wihan
stands
in the middle of the courtyard. It has a magnificent roofline. It is
massive and exceptionally tall as it houses a huge sitting Buddha
image in
 |
| Sitting Buddha |
Mara position. Phra
Buddha Shakyamuni
is a 13th
century, 8-meter high bronze statue that had been shipped by river
boat from the former capital of Sukothai in the north. The temple was
specially built to house the bronze Buddha on King Rama I's orders.
The statue is highly revered and is now covered with gold. Its base
contains the ashes of King Rama VIII (1925-1946) brother of the
actual King, Rama IX, who died mysteriously six months after his
coronation. The exceptional quality and number of the mural
paintings
make the fame of Wat Suthat. It seems that the entire building has
been covered with images representing the 24 previous lives of Buddha
or scenes of former daily life, whereas the columns depict the early
history of Bangkok. Art experts say that the paintings differ from
the traditional Thai painting methods and reveal a Western influence.
The murals are among the most important and extensive in the country.
A partial restoration was done in the late 80s but some still seem to
be ready for a revamp.
 |
| Mural scene inside the Wihan |
Wat
Suthat is a Buddhist temple closely associated with Brahman Hinduism.
This is why the Giant Swing stands right in front its main gate and
that there are two Hindu shrines on both sides.
Like
other monuments of Rattanakosin, Wat Suthat has been submitted for
consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
Christian
Sorand,
Bangkok,
August 2014
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